Cinnamon Shortbread Cookies

I had a surplus of flour and sugar so I made these for my class.

Ingredients:

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup shortening, softened

1 1/2 cups white sugar

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup water

ground cinnamon

honey

Cinnamon Imperials 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375
2. Mix ingredients thoroughly

3. Make small balls out of the dough about 1 inch in diameter

4. Space them out evenly on a greased baking sheet

5. Make criss crosses with a fork

6. Smoosh a cinnamon imperial/ red hot candy in the middle of each cookie

7. Sprinkle a dusting of ground cinnamon on each cookie

8. Add a drop of honey to the center of each cookie

9. Bake for 8-10 minutes until slightly brown

Grilled Shrimp with Mango Salsa

With the help of my newly found bodega, Mexican Fruits, I made a fresh mango salsa to accompany the shrimp. While, I admit I got the shrimp at Safeway on "Five dollar Friday", There is a large selection of fresh seafood to be had at the Maine Ave Seafood Market in Southwest

Ingredients:

1lb Shrimp shelled and deveined
Salsa Valentina (to taste, 1 to 3 tablespoons depending on how spicy you like it)
vegetable oil (enough to coat the shrimp)
1 handful fresh oregano leaves cut
1 yellow to orange bell pepper
1/2 red onion

1 serrano pepper
1 tangerine
1 handful fresh cilantro
2-3 green onions chopped
2 roma tomatoes
1 yellow mango (also know as Mexican, honey, Philippine, or Champagne mangos)
1 large fresh garlic clove
1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Let shrimp marinate in Salsa Valentina, oil and oregano while you prepare the Mango Salsa

2. Slice 1/2 of bell pepper and 1/2 red onion to be grilled with the shrimp

2. Liquify serrano, the juice from the tangerine, cilantro leaves, and green onions in a blender

3. Dice tomatoes, mango, the other bell pepper 1/2, garlic

4. Combine diced ingredients, blended mixture and salt in a bowl and let chill in the refrigerator while you grill the shrimp.

5. Grill shrimp, red onion and 1/2 of yellow pepper on the grill.

6. Serve grilled veggies and shrimp with Mango Salsa, Queso Fresco and tortilla chips or tostadas.

Enjoy!

Bean Sprout Salad

Ingredients:

1 cup bean sprouts

small handful of fresh sugar-snap peas, cut into ½ inch pieces
small handful of fresh green beans, cut into ½ inch pieces
small handful baby carrots, cut into small pieces
1 green onion diced

3 strips turkey bacon cut into bite-sized slices
handful mushrooms sliced
1 pad butter

Dressing:

sesame oil
soy sauce
rice wine

Directions:

1) Mix vegetables in a large bowl
2) cook turkey bacon and mushrooms together in a pan, add butter as needed
3) Add cooked bacon and mushrooms to vegetables
4) Add dressing ingredients to the salad
5) Mix
6) Enjoy